Short Answer
VaultCharts includes a comprehensive suite of predefined technical indicators organized into four main categories: Trend, Momentum, Volatility, and Volume indicators. These cover the essential tools needed for technical analysis, from simple moving averages to advanced oscillators.
Trend Indicators
Trend indicators help identify the direction and strength of market trends.
Moving Averages
- Calculates average price over specified periods
- Smooths price action
- Identifies trend direction
- Common periods: 20, 50, 100, 200
- Learn more about SMA
EMA (Exponential Moving Average)
- Gives more weight to recent prices
- More responsive than SMA
- Better for short-term trends
- Reduces lag in trend identification
- Learn more about EMA
- Linear weighting of recent prices
- Balance between SMA and EMA
- Customizable weighting schemes
- WMA indicator guide
WEMA (Wilder's Exponential Moving Average)
- Developed by J. Welles Wilder
- Used in RSI and other indicators
- Smoother than standard EMA
- Less sensitive to price spikes
- WEMA indicator guide
Advanced Trend Indicators
Accumulation/Distribution (ADL)
- Measures money flow
- Combines price and volume
- Identifies accumulation/distribution
- Confirms trend strength
- ADL guide
Parabolic SAR (Stop and Reverse)
- Trend-following indicator
- Provides entry and exit signals
- Dots above price = downtrend
- Dots below price = uptrend
- Parabolic SAR guide
- Comprehensive trend analysis system
- Five components: Tenkan, Kijun, Senkou A, Senkou B, Chikou
- Cloud indicates support/resistance
- Identifies trend direction and strength
- Ichimoku guide ADX (Average Directional Index)
- Measures trend strength (not direction by itself)
- Often used with +DI and −DI for bullish/bearish pressure
- Helps filter ranging vs trending markets
- Learn more about ADX
Momentum Indicators
Momentum indicators measure the speed and strength of price movements.
Oscillators
- Measures overbought/oversold conditions
- Range: 0-100
- Above 70 = potentially overbought
- Below 30 = potentially oversold
- Divergences indicate potential reversals
- Learn more about RSI
MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)
- Shows relationship between two EMAs
- Signal line crossovers indicate entries
- Histogram shows momentum strength
- Divergences signal potential reversals
- Learn more about MACD
- Compares closing price to price range
- Identifies overbought/oversold conditions
- %K and %D lines
- Crossovers indicate momentum shifts
- Learn more about Stochastic
- Combines Stochastic and RSI
- More sensitive than RSI alone
- Better for ranging markets
- Identifies momentum extremes
- Stochastic RSI guide
Additional Momentum Indicators
- Measures deviation from statistical mean
- Identifies cyclical trends
- Above +100 = strong uptrend
- Below -100 = strong downtrend
- CCI guide
- Measures percentage price change over a period
- Momentum confirmation and divergence
- ROC guide
- Fast overbought/oversold oscillator
- Similar use-cases to Stochastic
- Williams %R guide
- Histogram of short vs long SMA of median price
- Momentum shifts and zero-line crosses
- Awesome Oscillator guide
- Combines multiple ROC periods
- Trend and momentum confirmation
- KST guide
- Triple-smoothed EMA oscillator
- Filters noise; signal-line crosses
- TRIX guide
Volatility Indicators
Volatility indicators measure price variability and market uncertainty.
- Three lines: Upper, Middle (SMA), Lower
- Middle band = 20-period SMA
- Bands expand/contract with volatility
- Price touching upper band = potentially overbought
- Price touching lower band = potentially oversold
- Squeezes indicate low volatility (potential breakouts)
- Learn more about Bollinger Bands
- Measures market volatility
- Developed by J. Welles Wilder
- Higher ATR = higher volatility
- Used for stop loss placement
- Helps with position sizing
- Learn more about ATR
- Average of high, low, and close
- Used in other calculations
- Represents average trading price
- Useful for smoothing price action
- Typical Price guide
Volume Indicators
Volume indicators analyze trading volume to confirm price movements.
VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price)
- Average price weighted by volume
- Important intraday reference
- Institutional trading benchmark
- Support/resistance levels
- Learn more about VWAP
- Volume-weighted RSI
- Range: 0-100
- Above 80 = overbought
- Below 20 = oversold
- Combines price and volume
- MFI guide
- Cumulative volume indicator
- Adds volume on up days, subtracts on down days
- Confirms trend strength
- Divergences signal potential reversals
- Learn more about OBV
- Combines price change and volume
- Measures buying/selling pressure
- Positive = buying pressure
- Negative = selling pressure
- Shows trend strength
- Force Index guide
- Measures money flow
- Similar to OBV but uses close location
- Confirms trend direction
- Identifies accumulation/distribution phases
- ADL guide
- Shows volume traded at price levels
- Highlights POC and value area concepts
- Useful for structure and rotation analysis
- Volume Profile guide
How to Use Indicators Effectively
1. Combine Different Types
Use indicators from different categories:
- Trend + Momentum = Strong trend confirmation
- Volume + Price = Confirmation of moves
- Volatility + Trend = Risk assessment
2. Avoid Redundancy
Don't use multiple similar indicators:
- SMA, EMA, WMA all show trends (pick one)
- RSI, Stochastic, Williams %R all show momentum (pick one)
- Focus on complementary indicators
3. Consider Timeframe
- Higher timeframes = more reliable signals
- Lower timeframes = more signals but less reliable
- Match indicator periods to your timeframe
4. Use with Price Action
Indicators are tools, not replacements:
- Always consider price action
- Indicators confirm, don't predict
- Use for confluence, not sole signals
Indicator Configuration
Customizable Parameters
Most indicators allow:
- Period adjustments
- Color customization
- Line style changes
- Alert configuration
Multiple Instances
You can add multiple instances:
- Different periods on same chart
- Compare different timeframes
- Test different configurations
Overlay vs. Separate Pane
- Overlay: On price chart (moving averages, Bollinger Bands)
- Separate pane: Below price (oscillators, volume indicators)
Common Indicator Combinations
Trend Following
- EMA (20, 50) + MACD + Volume
- Identifies strong trends
- Confirms trend direction
- Shows trend strength
Mean Reversion
- Bollinger Bands + RSI + Volume
- Identifies overbought/oversold
- Finds reversal opportunities
- Confirms with volume
Breakout Trading
- ATR + Volume + Moving Averages
- Identifies volatility
- Confirms breakouts
- Sets stop losses
Individual Indicator Guides
Trend Indicators
- What is SMA (Simple Moving Average)?
- What is EMA (Exponential Moving Average)?
- What is ADX (Average Directional Index)?
Momentum Indicators
- What is RSI (Relative Strength Index)?
- What is MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)?
- What is the Stochastic Oscillator?